Blood Song
by Relatively Unknown
Summary: Sakura, tired of being weak, makes a decision that will lead her to the truth about her ancestry and place her on the path to her acension.
1. Part One: The Decision

**A/N**: I've written this over the past several days. It's been an interesting stroke of  
inspiration, since it came to me out of the blue and I actually finished it.   
  
I suppose a rating of PG-13 is a bit heavy, but believe me, I'm not taking any chances,  
especially on this site.  
  
This takes place after the Chuunin Exams, but Sasuke never left. Also, it's going to be  
Sakura-centric, so you won't see too much of other characters.   
  
This is a four part series, plus an epilogue.  
  
**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Naruto, never have, never will. I only own this story and its  
specifics.  
  
**ARCHIVE**: Go ahead, just drop me a line.   
  
GUIDE  
  
"Blah" - spoken  
_Blah_ - thoughts / emphasis  
_Blah_ - emphasis in a thought   
-Blah- - sound effect  
  
- scene change  
..::::.. - here, a dream sequence  
  


**Part One: The Decision**

  
  


"Sakura! Look out!" Kakashi called out to her. She blinked and ducked just in  
time; four shuriken went flying over her, just barely missing her face.   
  
_The way we attract trouble you'd think we were magnets or something,_ she  
thought as she recovered her wits. It had been a simple mission; go to the Hidden Grass,  
exchange a scroll, and return. Or so they had thought-- they weren't even a day out on the  
way back to Konoha when several nin, bearing no country identification, attacked.   
  
Kakashi was about twenty feet from her, battling it out with fists with his  
opponent. He had already taken care of one, who was crumpled in a bloody heap nearby.  
Sasuke and Naruto were fighting two others, at the moment in an apparent dead lock.  
Sakura was facing one herself, now, and was just intent on surviving.  
  
She dodged another shuriken attack and was trying to somehow get behind her  
opponent. If she could do that, she might be able to take the offense. Doubtful, but it  
would keep her alive until one of the boys or Kakashi could come to her aid. Sakura  
didn't like the idea, but she'd berate herself later for it; now was _definitely_ not the time.   
  
She ran behind a tree, and making the seals as fast as she could, sent a clone out,  
hoping the guy would follow. A peek out saw that he did. She smiled to herself, grabbed  
some shuriken, and went to follow. She threw a barrage and they hit... or so she thought.  
The guy vanished with a -poof- and left her confused. _A clone...? When did he...?_  
  
She was thrown back into reality by her name being called. She did a 180, only to  
be pushed roughly to the side. She snapped her head up and saw Sasuke standing in front  
of her, a few shuriken sticking out of him. Her eyes widened in horror, but he just gave  
her a glance before jumping back into the fight.   
  
_Sasuke..._  


  
  


  
  


Sakura flopped down in a chair outside Sasuke's room. They had gone back to the  
Grass to get patched up. Sasuke had had the worst of it all, with several shuriken in his  
body and a few cuts that needed stitching. Kakashi also had some stitching, but was  
released afterwards. Sakura had just some scratches and minor abrasions, and Naruto had  
already healed any wounds he had had.   
  
The mental berating she was giving herself rivaled some of Lee's self-induced  
punishments. _How could I be so stupid?! I was weak, weaker than I had ever been  
before! I can't believe I fell for a basic trick like an idiot..._ she cursed herself, over and  
over. She felt beating her held off the nearest wall-- or better yet, put her head through it.   
  
"You know it wasn't your fault-- Sasuke moved on his own," Kakashi had told  
her. She had simply shrugged at him and kept on with her mental torture. _Yeah_, she  
thought, _but he wouldn't have had to if I wasn't so weak._  
  
She kept this up for the two days they were there and the days going home, despite  
Naruto's several attempts to cheer her up. She found that she couldn't even look Sasuke  
in the eye. _What must he think of me? I've probably sunk even lower in his eyes, if that's  
even humanly possible. He shows Naruto more attention than me, and they can't stand  
each other!_ she told herself miserably.   
  
Sakura did brighten a bit once they arrived home. She could talk to her mother  
and mope for a few more days before having to face her team again. Since Sasuke was  
still out of commission technincally, Kakashi had canceled their training sessions for the  
rest of the week. She tried her best to hide her profound relief, but she was pretty sure  
Kakashi saw it. Naruto and Sasuke were to busy arguing... again....  
  
"Sakura? May I have a word with you?" Kakashi asked after Naruto left for the  
Ichikaru and Sasuke limped home on crutches.   
  
"Yes, sensei?" she asked quietly, knowing what he most likely wanted.  
  
"Sakura, I can understand that you feel guilty for Sasuke's injuries; but you need  
to understand, he did that on his own. It was his choice to protect you," he said, his voice  
trying to be comforting, she knew.  
  
"He shouldn't have to," was all she said before walking away. She heard him sigh,  
and she ran the rest of the way home.   
  
"Oh, Sakura! You're back!" her mother greeted her when she walked in the door.  
"How did it go?"  
  
"Oh, Mama!" she said, launching herself into her mother's arms. She couldn't  
stop the tears from coming.   
  
"There, there, dear. Why don't you go on up to your room and I'll fix us some tea,  
okay?" Sakura sniffled and nodded, unable to find the voice to speak. She walked slowly  
to her room and curled up on her bed. She found her old stuff bear, Scraggles, and  
snuggled up with him. Her mother returned several minutes later, two mugs of hot tea in  
hand. "Here, child," she said, handing Sakura a mug. "Now, why don't you tell me what  
happened?"  
  
"It was awful, Mama. We were attacked--"  
  
"Oh, my! Are you alright?" Sakura nodded weakly and continued.  
  
"We were attacked and -sniff- during the fight -sniff- someone called my name  
and I turned around and I was -sniff- pushed to the ground..." Sakura struggled with her  
words.  
  
"Take a drink, dear, it'll help," her mother said. Sakura nodded and took a long  
sip of the soothing tea. She took a deep breath and began again.  
  
"I was pushed to the ground and I looked up and saw Sasuke standing over me.  
He had pushed me out of the way of some shuriken, but he... he was hit..."  
  
"Is he alright?" Sakura swallowed hard and nodded. Her mother was confused; if  
Sasuke was fine, then why was her daughter so drastically upset?  
  
"I was so weak... I couldn't defend myself, and because of that, Sasuke was hurt.  
He was lucky this time, Mama, but what about the next?"   
  
Those green eyes so much like her own were full of fear and worry. What could  
she say? There was no words that seemed adequate. Instead, she just held her daughter  
while she cried. Sometimes, actions really do speak louder than words.

  
  


  
  


Sakura rose early the next day and dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. She was feeling  
very pretty today, nor did she really want to, and pulled her still short hair into a small  
ponytail. Her mother had already left for work at the Hokage Tower, where she was a  
secretorial manager. She had once asked her mother what that meant exactly, and was  
told it meant that her mother got to tell everyone what to do when it came to running the  
office. She had gone with her mother to work one day, to see for herself. It was an  
interesting, if stressful, job.   
  
Sakura made herself some ramen -- _I've been around Naruto too much,_ she  
thought-- and was out the door a half hour later. She was going to run some errands for  
her mother first and then... she didn't know what she would do. She'd figure it out when  
she came to it.  
  
The first stop was the post office, where she bought a packet of stamps and mailed  
some bills and whatnot. Then it was to the pet store to pick up a new water bowl for  
Tsuki, their grey cat. It had been accidently left outside several months ago, and cracked  
when the water in it froze over night. They had been using an old butter bowl, but it  
finally bit the dust while Sakura was away and her mother had given her money to buy a  
new one.   
  
Her next stop was the general store to pick up some various things and then to the  
grocery store to buy food for tonight and tomorrow. She made it back home at just before  
noon, though it was closer to one by the time she had everything put away. She hadn't run  
into anyone she knew, thankfully, since the other genin were still on missions. She sat  
down on the couch with a mug of tea and a happily snoozing Tsuki on her lap.  
  
"I wish I could be as easily pleased as you," she murmured to the cat, who only  
twitched her ears in response. "I just can't believe I'm that weak. Sasuke and Naruto have  
grown so much in their strengths, and I'm still left behind. I'll never make chuunin at this  
rate."   
  
As if to comfort her mistress, Tsuki began purring gently as Sakura stroked her.  
Sakura was lost in thought over the matter, the scene of her 'unfortunate saving', as she  
had begun to call it, replaying over and over in her mind. Soon, though, she was fast  
asleep and dreaming.  


  
  


..::::..

  
  


_Huh? Where am I?_ Sakura thought, looking around. _It's... it's the Grass! But how  
can that be, we just came back from there...._ She continued looking around and was  
startled when she realized it was the area where they had been attacked. She suddenly  
started running, but was pushed aside. _Just like that day,_ she thought as she looked up,  
half expecting to see Sasuke. In his place, though, was Kakashi. He extended his hand to  
help her up, and she took it, only to be pulled into a black hole.  
  
_What?!_ she mentally yelled, her mind racing. The black slowly faded and she was  
in the hospital. Frightened, she began running down the halls. _It's so empty! Where is  
everyone?! Why's it so dark?!_ Finally, when she turned down another hallway, she saw  
Kakashi and Naruto talking to a man. _Hey, that was the doctor that fixed Sasuke up!_  
Sakura thought, and began running towards them.  
  
"Hey guys!" she called. They didn't seem to hear her. She stopped right beside  
them, but they didn't look at her. She looked at them oddly, and noticed that Naruto  
seemed rather subdued.  
  
"We did the best we could, but he had a shuriken so close to his heart and another  
one next to his spine... I am deeply sorry to tell you this, but your teammate didn't make  
it," the doctor said. Sakura stared at him in shock. _Sasuke... is dead?_ "May I ask what  
happened?"  
  
"We were attacked by unidentified nins," Kakashi replied. "He pushed another  
teammate of ours out of the way of the attack and was hit himself."  
  
"Did she not see it coming?" the doctor bit back.  
  
"It was a surprise attack!" she snapped at him. She was ignored again.  
  
"She's the weak link of our team. She couldn't handle herself," Naruto said,  
astonishing Sakura with his tone of disgust.   
  
"Naruto... it was an accident..." she said, but he didn't turn her way.  
  
"Yes," the doctor said, "she sounds most definitely like the weak link. How did  
she ever make a genin team?"  
  
"Got me," Kakashi replied. By now, Sakura was imitating in her inner self and  
was absolutely furious.   
  
"I'm gonna--" she started to threaten, but was ignored yet again, and the doctor  
spoke.  
  
"Well, she should be eliminated! You should consider heavily speaking with your  
Hokage about the matter-- perhaps you can get her sent back to school, where she  
obviously belongs," the doctor said. Sakura was absolutely livid.  
  
"I'll show you where I belong, when I shove my foot so far up your--" she  
stopped, not because of anything the doctor and her teammates said or did, but because  
they simply faded away.   
  
"What the...?" Sakura said, surrounded by pitch black again.  
  
"Sakura." She whirled around to find herself face to face with Sasuke. He looked  
like he was going to say something, but fell into her arms instead.   
  
"Sasuke? Sasuke?!" she said, laying him on the ground. She glanced at her hands  
and saw that they were covered in blood. "Oh, no... Sasuke!"  
  
"Sa... Sak... Saku... ra..." he choked out.   
  
"Yes, it's me, what is it?" she asked, panicked.   
  
"You... you... are..." he gasped for air.  
  
"What? I'm what, Sasuke?!"  
  
"P... pa... thet... ic.... You... are... pathetic..." he said, grabbing her by the collar.   
  
Her eyes widened as he, too, vanished, leaving her covered in his blood. She  
could hear his voice echoing throughout the darkness, repeating that phrase over and  
over. She could hear the doctor's words join in, creating a jumbled mess of insults that  
only seemed to get louder. She covered her ears, screaming for them to stop, but it only  
intensified.   
  
"NO! STOP IT! I'M NOT PATHETIC! I'M NOT WEAK! STOP IT!" she cried  
out, only to be further ignored. She fell to the ground, crying. "I'm not weak..." she  
whispered to the darkness, before losing consciousness.  


  
  


..::::..

  
  


Sakura woke with a start, startling the ball of fur in her lap. She blinked and  
rubbed her eyes. _It was just a dream, Sakura, that's all. Just a dream._ Sight at last  
focusing, she glanced at the clock on the mantle. _Four o'clock?! I slept for three hours?!  
Mama's going to be home soon, and I haven't even set the meat out to thaw!_   
  
She bolted into the kitchen to catch up on her neglected chores. As she rushed to  
get everything ready for dinner, she couldn't get that dream out of her mind. _What did it  
mean? Am I really that pathetic? Sasuke didn't really die, but he could have... and all  
because of me,_ she thought sadly.   
  
Her mother came in the door a few minutes later, asking how she was holding up.  
Sakura replied better, but it sounded hollow even to her. They ate their meal quietly,  
mostly talking about her mother's oddball coworkers. It was just them, since her father  
had died several years ago when his squad was attacked on a mission. His picture was in a  
frame beside the phone, smiling and throwing a peace sign, just like Naruto did.   
  
"Mama," Sakura started, "I had a dream." She explained the entire dream to her  
mother as they cleaned the table and washed the dishes.  
  
"It sounds like you're convinced everyone thinks so low of you," her mother said  
when she finished. "You have it in your head that you're weak, and you think that others  
see you like that as well."  
  
"But Mama, I _am_ weak. I didn't even sense that attack coming, and I should have!  
I fell for a little kid trick." Sakura sighed, and stopped drying the dish she was on. "It's  
not just that, though. I always have to be protected by one of them. Even Kakashi-sensei!  
I feel so useless, Mama."  
  
"Sakura, dear, you were the brightest genin of your year, if not the past few years.  
You have to accept that you have the brains and not the brawn."  
  
"I don't want to accept that! I don't have to be as strong as Sasuke or Naruto, I  
just want to be able to defend myself without needing someone to protect me! I just want  
to be... competant enough to do that," Sakura said, almost slamming the dish onto the  
counter. She mumbled an apology and started drying off the next dish.  
  
"Daughter, I can understand why you would want that. It's what any nin wants,  
whether their a genin or a jounin. It's just that some of us aren't battle-oriented, no matter  
how we try. I'm not telling you to stop trying, I'm just warning you that you may never  
reach a level where you're satisfied. I never did myself; that's why I work at the Hokage  
Tower and don't go out on missions."  
  
"So you're saying I should just give up and accept my fate? Sounds a lot like what  
Neji babbles about," Sakura replied, sullen.  
  
"Yes, well, that Hyuuga boy is a strange one himself. The Rock boy, too. I just  
wish he'd get a proper haircut," her mother said. Sakura didn't reply, knowing full well  
she'd continue. "As for your question, no, I'm not telling you to give up. I'm just saying  
that you may want to save yourself a lot of heartache and personal suffering."  
  
"I can't give up, Mama; I just can't. I need to get stronger, if not for myself, then  
at least for the safety of my teammates. I can't just sit around like a fragile doll, ready to  
break at any sudden movement. Being smart just isn't enough. I have to get stronger."  
She spoke with such quiet conviction that her mother actually paused to look at her.  
Those green eyes were afire, a flame that had long burned out in her own eyes.   
  
"Tomorrow, Sakura, go over to your grandmother's. I believe she may be able to  
help you, if you are positve you want to do this," she said. Sakura looked up at her and  
smiled for the first time in days.   
  
"Thanks, Mama."  


  
  
**A/N**: There's part one. I hope you guys like it. Please feel free to review or flame, I accept  
both. Constructive criticism would be great, as well. By the way, does anyone know how to put indents in   
using HTML?  



	2. Part Two: The Realization

**A/N**: Ah, I'm sorry it took so long to post this. I would have yesterday, but a friend was  
over and he needed to use the computer. I'll try to be more prompt next time.   
  
Here's Part 2.  
  
**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Naruto, never have, never will. I only own this story and its  
specifics.  
  
**ARCHIVE**: Go ahead, just drop me a line.   
  
**GUIDE**  
  
"Blah" - spoken  
_Blah_ - thoughts / emphasis  
_Blah_ - emphasis in a thought   
-Blah- - sound effect  
  
- scene change  
..::::.. - not in this chapter  
  


**Part Two: Realization**  
  
"Grandmama! Are you here? Grandmama!" Sakura called out, entering the old  
house. It was only a few blocks down the road from her own, but Sakura left early,  
knowing that she would be up.  
  
"I'm out back, dear!" Sakura walked to the back of the house and out onto the  
porch. Her grandmother was turning the soil in her garden. "Hello, dear! Why aren't you  
with your team?"  
  
"We just came back from a mission, so Kakashi-sensei gave us a few days off,"  
she replied. _Well, it's the truth. Mostly._   
  
"I see. So what brings you out to your old fogey of a grandmother?"  
  
"Grandmama!" Sakura scolded. "You're not an old fogey!"  
  
"I'm not? Oh no, I'll have to send back my membership card," she said. Sakura  
laughed and her grandmother joined her on the porch. "So why are you here, then?"  
  
"Well, Mama and I was talking last night, and I told her I wanted to become  
stronger. She said if I was sure I wanted to do it, then to come her. She said you could  
help me," Sakura explained. Her grandmother smiled wistfully and sighed.  
  
"I had wondered if this day would ever come," she said. "Come on inside, dear,  
it's much cooler." Sakura followed her into the kitchen and accepted a glass of cold ice  
tea gratefully. "Now, tell me everything."  
  
"I want to be stronger. I'm tired of having to be constantly protected by my  
teammates because I'm unable to defend myself," she said.  
  
"Oh? Is that all?" Sakura shook her head.  
  
"No. I didn't tell Mama this, but I don't just want to be a competant nin, I want to  
be a _good_ one. I know I'll never be any where near Sasuke or Naruto's level, but I want to  
get as close as I can. I want to strive to be the best I can possibly be, and even if that  
means I only make it to chuunin, then so be it; but I want to try for jounin. I want to... I  
want everyone to respect me, not protect me."  
  
"Well, then, dear, if what you have told me is true, and I believe it is, the time has  
come to learn about the origins of your clan."  
  
"Origins? What do you mean?" Sakura asked curiously.  
  
"Have you ever been to the attic?"  
  
"Er, no, I haven't. I didn't even know you _had_ an attic."  
  
"Well, come child, there's some things you need to see." Sakura followed her  
grandmother to the guest bedroom. There she took a picture off the wall and tapped the  
wood beneath it. Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin when a stair case fell from the  
ceiling. Her grandmother smiled at her reaction. "I did the same thing when your  
grandfather first showed me. I swear he kept trying to give me a heart attack."  
  
Sakura smiled and followed her grandmother slowly up the staircase. It creaked,  
but appeared sturdy. _I've should've known. Mama always said her father was good with  
his hands,_ Sakura mused. The attic was pitched, and was only tall enough to stand up in  
at the center. It wasn't overly large, maybe thirty feet long and about twenty feet wide. It  
was musty, and Sakura sneezed.   
  
"Whew! I haven't been up here since your grandfather died," her grandmother  
said.  
  
"But that was before I was born!" Sakura exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, it's been fourteen years at least," she replied. "Now where is it...? Oh, there  
it is!"  
  
Suddenly light flooded the previously dark room. There weren't any windows, or  
at least none Sakura could see, since the walls were packed with old chests and trunks.  
Everything was so dusty that it looked like it all had been painted brown. Sakura started  
to sneeze again, but it stopped. She shook the tingling after-feeling. _I hate it when that  
happens._  
  
"Much better," her grandmother said. "Now, which trunk was it?"  
  
They spent the next ten minutes opening trunks. Sakura came across clothes,  
trinkets, even her grandfather's old ANBU uniform, but none of it was what her  
grandmother was looking for. Eventually, there was only one trunk left.   
  
"It's always in the last place you look..." she commented as they opened it. Sakura  
looked inside and was confused by what she saw. "Armor? Old rusty kunai? Grandmama,  
I don't understand. What does this junk have to deal with the clan origins?"  
  
"It's not junk, dear. It's the armor and weapons of our founder. Here, help lift it  
out," her grandmother told her. They set the ensemble out in front of the trunk.   
  
"It's so small; he must not have been a very large man," Sakura said. To her  
surprise, her grandmother laughed.   
  
"That's the problem these days, founders and leaders are always men! Well,  
except for our newly appointed Lady Hokage," she said. "Our founder was no man,  
Sakura. She was a strong, powerful woman who led entire armies into battle. Her name  
was Inutsuge, and she was of a clan so ancient that no one, not even in her day, knew  
from whence they came."  
  
"Wow," Sakura said, knowing it sounded lame, but it was all she could say.  
  
"She was the pride of her clan, whose name is not known, and they treated her as  
such a powerful heir should. Until one day, she was cast out of the clan."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Why, she fell in love, of course! With a handsome local man who smart as well  
as strong. He was perfect, except for he was of a lower class. You see, back then, one  
didn't marry outside their class-- no exceptions. Some clans still practice that, like the  
Hyuugas. Others, like the Uchihas, have gotten over it and allow their children, for the  
most part, to marry whom they choose. Your teammate Sasuke, for example; his mother  
was not of high birth, but his father was."  
  
"I see. So what happened to her?"  
  
"Well, as the legend goes, she had run off and secretly married the young man.  
When her father found out, he was furious, and banished her from the clan. She, however,  
did not regret her actions in the slightest. Instead, she worked her way up to commander  
the hard way, and soon had quite the reputation of a warrior in battle. She had several  
victories under her command, and soon the men were _begging_ to be led by her. Such a  
strong woman was rare in those days, if they existed at all.  
  
She lived a full life under the name Haruno Inutsuge, taking the name from her  
favorite season; the same season in which she was cast out of the clan. It is said that she  
often called it her rebirth, much like the spring is the rebirth after winter," her  
grandmother explained.  
  
"Wait, why didn't she take her husband's name?"  
  
"Back then, those of the lower class didn't have clan names usually. Occasionally  
one would be taken if they were traveling peddlers, but most didn't bother. They couldn't  
read or write them anyhow, and there would be little point to do so."  
  
"Is there more? To the story, I mean."  
  
"Oh, of course, that is only the beginning. Inutsuge had several children, all girls,  
who also grew up to be strong women, though not all on the battlefield. One became a  
famous doctor in her time, I believe, and another served a position in the Emperor's court,  
an unheard of thing then.  
  
It is also noted that these women inherited more from their mother than just their  
strength; they also were blessed with the peculiar abilities of her clan. You see, her clan  
had been as prestigious as the Hyuugas or the Uchihas in their heyday, but they were also  
greatly feared for their almost supernatural abilities.   
  
Each member of the clan, no matter how far up or down the scale they were, had  
mysterious mental capabilities. They developed in different ways; some could predict the  
future, other could see the past, and a few could even read minds," she said.  
  
"Woah," Sakura replied. It was a lot to take in. "So your saying I have the blood  
of these women flowing through my veins?"  
  
"That is what I am saying, but I'm not yet finished. There is more."  
  
"Tell me!"   
  
"Each of those women also married and had children, creating a large clan rather  
quickly. Inutsuge, rememebering her own prejudiced family, allowed her children to  
marry any man they chose on one condition-- they had to agree to take their wife's name  
as their own, instead of she taking theirs."  
  
"Did Papa?"  
  
"Yes, child, he did, as did your grandfather and great-uncles. Your aunt never  
married, but it wasn't because of that. She was just too headstrong for her own good," she  
said. Sakura smiled. Her aunt had been, if anything, headstrong and stubborn. It would've  
taken a strong man to handle her.  
  
"So, just what does all of this mean?"  
  
"It means, Sakura, that if you truly want to become stronger, you have the blood to  
do it. The legend also says that before she died, Inutsuge said that she would return one  
day, her spirit reincarnated into a descendent, born on her birthday one thousand years  
later. There is a possibility, child, that you have her spirit within you."  
  
"What?! Are you saying I'm her and she's me?!" Sakura asked, amazed at this.  
  
"Not quite, but yes. You have not the same soul; you are two very different  
individuals. It is her _spirit_, her will and determination, that resides within you. I have seen  
you at times, when you let that spirit shine through, and it is an absolute wildfire. You  
have the will, child, and now, you have the way," her grandmother said.  
  
"The way? To becoming stronger, you mean?"   
  
"Yes. There are more than a few things about this clan that the rest of world  
doesn't know and probably couldn't even begin to understand. We are a matriarchal clan,  
our blood, passion, and strength passed from mother to daughter. We have strengths that  
few others are privy to, and we are known to surmount great odds by sheer force of will  
alone."  
  
"Funny, I don't feel that strong," Sakura said, bitterly.  
  
"Some strengths can be innate, others are learned. I know that you want to become  
physically stronger, Sakura, but before you do that, you need to become mentally  
stronger. You are a smart girl, and that's great place to start, but you can be much more."  
  
"I don't want to be all brains!"  
  
"Heavens no, child! But once you are mentally ready, you can become physically  
ready, and nothing will not be out of your grasp."  
  
Sakura didn't know what to think. She was still absorbing everything that had  
been told to her. _I'm the descendant of a great female warrior. I have bloodline limits.  
I'm the descendant of Inutsuge. I'm... I'm hella powerful!_ Inner Sakura thought with glee.  
_Wait 'til the guys hear this!_  
  
"You can't tell them."  
  
"What?" Sakura said, looking up. Her grandmother's words echoed through her  
head... 'a few could even read minds...'  
  
"I said, you cannot tell your teammates this, not even your sensei. No one can be  
told."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"You've seen how this world treats great clans like the Hyuugas and Uchihas;  
certain things are expected of them, and they are expected to serve their countries even  
more so than a regular nin. We are too willful and perhaps even bear too much pride to  
have that happen. You must not speak of your ancestry to anyone."  
  
"I... I understand. I won't. But what shall I tell them when they ask?"  
  
"You're a smart girl, Sakura. You'll think of something. Now, I will give you a  
few days to make your decision. Think wisely about it, child; once you start, you can't  
stop."  
  
"I will Grandmama. I better get home now," Sakura said, standing. Her  
grandmother walked her to the door, where started jogging to her home. "Bye,  
Grandmama! See you in a few days!"  
  
Sakura did think about it as wisely as she could. Of course she wanted to jump at  
the chance, but she knew better than that. You look before you leap, and this was a big  
leap. At first, the only con she could see was hard work. But a trip around the village  
observing various people brought another thought to mind. _Boys might not like me  
because of my strong will,_ she thought, thinking of her rival for Sasuke's attention, Ino.  
_She's pretty headstrong herself, and I can't think of any guy that has ever put up with her  
for too long, excluding her teammates. Shikamaru is too lazy to care and as long as  
Chouji has food, he's happy and could care less._ This train of thought didn't appeal to  
Sakura that much.  
  
_I guess it's a matter of which matters to me more-- attracting the opposite sex or  
being strong. In which case, I think the answer is probably obvious,_ she thought. She had  
told herself she would do anything to be stronger; and, it seemed, sacrificing the hope of a  
normal social life was included. _I want to be stronger, no matter the cost... I won't back  
down from this. I've always known that it took hard work to be strong, so I've always  
come up with some excuse to tell myself why I wasn't.... I'm a brain, not the brawn... I'm  
too smart to fight... I'm... I'm a member of the fairer sex..._  
  
Sakura stopped abruptly at that thought. She had excused herself from being  
stronger because she was a girl. Girls weren't strong like that, she had told herself. _But  
it's not true! Inutsuge was a strong woman, in a time when such a thing was frowned  
upon. Even now, women like Anko and Kurenai are strong, and I've heard the comments._  
She hung her head sadly. _I used to believe those comments. Agree with them, even.  
Women aren't strong. _  
  
She stopped and stared at the sky. It was the most perfect blue sky she had ever  
seen; birds flying across it, their wings stretched to the limit, calling out their joy to those  
below them. For a moment, Sakura felt as if she was up there flying with them....  
  
_I was wrong. Women are strong. I am strong._ She looked back down to her path  
and began to run.  
  
She reached the bridge that was the usual meeting place of the (in)famous Team 7.  
She glanced around, then checked her watch. She wasn't early, so where was Sasuke and  
Naruto? She whirled around, hearing the familiar -poof- that accompanied her sensei.  
  
"Ah, Sakura! Good, you're on time," he said, and she swore she could see him  
smiling beneath that mask of his.  
  
"Am I dreaming? Kakashi-sensei is actually on _time_?!" she said, knowing her  
voice was reaching a very high pitch. She swallowed, bringing it back to normal.  
"Where's the boys?"  
  
"Ah, actually, that's why I'm here. I'm not going to beat around the bush, so I'll  
just tell you. Team 7, for the moment at least, no longer exists."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Naruto has left to rejoin Jiraiya for further training, and once again, I am going  
away from Konoha to teach Sasuke."  
  
_Leaving me behind again, are we? Just wait, sensei. I'll have a few surprises in  
store for you,_ she thought, but instead said, "For how long?"  
  
"Honestly, I can't say. A few weeks, a year...? We're on the brink of an all-out  
war, Sakura. Nothing for certain, any more," he said candidly. Sakura had to admit, if she  
could count on Kakashi for anything, it was his eternal bluntness. "Don't worry, Sakura.  
Tsunade has offered to train you, if you wish. She thinks you have great potential."   
  
"Actually..." Sakura started, smiling. "I think I have a better idea. Tell Lady  
Hokage that I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to walk another path."  
  
"Another path...?" Kakashi asked, cocking his head a bit. Sakura tried not to  
laugh; he looked like Pakkun doing that.  
  
"Naruto has his dream; Sasuke has his revenge. And I... I have my will," she  
replied. She started to jog away, waving to him. "Goodbye, Kakashi-sensei! You and  
Sasuke take care of yourselves! And stay away from that book!" she said, before  
disappearing into the village, leaving a very confused jounin behind.

  
  
_A/N_: And that is the end of Part Two. Yes, I realize I made it more fairy-tale like; it was  
both intentional and not. This is a girl's story (no offense to the guys), and I just figured  
she'd like it a bit more like a dream come true. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how it is.   
  
Now, a word to my reviewers...  
  
_Girl-chama_: Ah, thanks! ::blushes:: I did try to make Sakura and her mother close, but  
obviously it didn't come off like that. Sorry. I'll try to make it better later on.  
  
_Miszy-Anne_: ::blushes again:: Thanks. I'm not sure why I threw in Lee-kun and Neji-kun,  
I just like those two. And Sakura's mother's reaction to Lee is mine. XD  
  
_Maya Amano_: Don't worry about short reviews. They're all good in my book, even  
flames. ::gives MA thumbs-up:: I didn't use to like Sakura, but then I realized that she  
and I had more in common than I cared to admit. ::sweatdrop:: Then I started to like her,  
and wrote this. It all worked out.  
  
_Poison Death Tree_: Thanks, 10/10. (Sorry, couldn't resist. ::grin::)  
  
_o0oshortayo0o_: ::blushes:: Man, my face is gonna be like this permanently... you guys are  
too cool. ::grin::  
  
_lildevil_: Thankies!  
  
Please, keep reviewin'! Remember, I don't mind flames, and if you would rather E-mail  
me, then go ahead. It's listed in my BIO. Just mark it 'Review' in the subject so I won't  
accidently delete it.   
  
See ya next time! 


	3. Part Three: The Awakening

**A/N**: I hope this is a bit more prompt. ::grin:: I'm glad so many of you liked this!   
  
At the end, I will once again answer reviewers, plus I have a little info you might like.  
  
Here's Part 3!  
  
**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Naruto, never have, never will. I only own this story and its  
specifics.  
  
**ARCHIVE**: Go ahead, just drop me a line.   
  
**GUIDE**  
  
"Blah" - spoken  
_Blah_ - thoughts / emphasis  
_Blah_ - emphasis in a thought   
-Blah- - sound effect  
  
- scene change  
..::::.. - not in this chapter  
  


**Part Three: The Awakening**  
  
"Grandmama? I have decided," Sakura said. She was in her grandmother's  
kitchen, drinking hot tea. It was the morning after her talk with Kakashi.  
  
"Yes, dear?"  
  
"I will walk the path of my ancestor. I know what it will mean, but I have weighed  
it against the strength I will gain and found it lacking. I will succeed as the descendant  
and reincarnated spirit of Inutsuge." Her grandmother looked at her through old sly eyes.  
  
"Very well-spoken. How long did you practice that?"  
  
"About three hours."  
  
"Not bad. Not bad at all," she said, smiling. Her expression then grew serious. "I  
know that you are honest in your decision and have no doubt of it. I know you understand  
the long, hard road that you must travel in order to reach your goal. However, I also know  
if anyone can do it, then you can."  
  
"Thank you," Sakura whispered, trying to hide the blush from receiving such  
praise.  
  
"Come, we shall begin today. I will teach you a few simple mental exercises--  
depending on how fast you master them, we will see just where to begin."  
  
It had started with that. A few simple mental exercises. It was almost hard for  
Sakura to grasp, but of course, she did.  
  
She may not have been the most avid supporter of the stress it involved, but she  
was dedicated and did not stray from the rigid schedule she imposed on herself. She  
would spend her days meditating, focusing her mental prowess, and her nights at the  
library or in her grandmother's attic, trying to discover everything she could about her  
ancestry. She ate it up and, surprising even her grandmother, memorized every single  
detail she came across. She learned absolutely everything she could her hands on, feeding  
her intelligence and thirst for knowledge, not just about her ancestry, but about anything.  
  
That schedule had lasted the first few months. By then, war had broken out, and  
she knew that it would a long time, years possibly, before she would ever lay eyes on her  
teammates again. It made her heart ache, but also made her even more determined. She  
would prove to them and to herself that she was not weak.  
  
After that, her schedule slowly began to include physical aspects. She pushed  
herself to the limit every day, often to her mother's chagrine. It wasn't that she didn't like  
what her daughter was doing, Sakura knew, it was because she was worried. Sakura  
would often stagger in the door, late at night, completely exhausted. More than once her  
mother had discovered her fast asleep on the couch, still in her training clothes.   
  
And it was over that first year she first began to realize just what her mental  
ability was. She knew things. No rhyme, no reason, she just knew things without  
question. It wasn't a constant thing, but she kept practicing at it, and soon was able to call  
on it almost whenever she needed it. Or didn't; sometimes it would come to her  
unbidden. She had tried to find out what ability Inutsuge had, but it was apparently lost to  
history.   
  
Sakura couldn't help but smile at some of the ironies of her clan. All members  
had the name of a flower-- her grandmother, Neguiri; her mother, Yuri; herself, and of  
course, Inutsuge. 'It is a tradition in an untraditional clan,' her grandmother had said.  
Another thing was that jutsus and other things pertaining to the clan all had something to  
do with flowers or nature.   
  
It was halfway through her second year that two things happened: she began to  
create her own jutsus, and she discovered an old scroll stuffed in the satin lining of one of  
the trunks. The scroll was old, older than other ones she had previously come across. She  
carefully unrolled it, mindful of its brittleness, and read. It was a pivotal moment; in the  
scroll was the handwritten account of battle led by Inutsuge by one of her soldiers.  
  
_"And like a hawk after its prey, she fell screaming from the sky at the enemy,  
slashing her katana through their flesh..."_ she read. She blinked and read it again, just to  
make sure she was reading it correctly. She felt an urge to run and show this to her  
grandmother, but something told her not to.... The same something that often gave her the  
hidden knowledge of the mind.  
  
Carefully, she folded the scroll and placed it back into its hiding place. She tried  
to put it out of mind, but those words had stirred something within her, and for once, she  
didn't know what it was.  
  
Scroll or no scroll, though, her training continued, intensifying. Her grandmother  
told her to go to a field and there remain until she could feel the breath of everything  
around her; hear the beating of everything's rhythm. A moment of incredulousness passed  
by her, but she obeyed.   
  
She walked the farthest away from the village proper as was allowed, choosing a  
secluded meadow near a stream. She found a comfortable place and let herself drift into  
her state of meditation, recalling her grandmother's words: _You have gone far in this  
state, child, but you must go further. Don't try and force yourself, just let yourself flow in  
the stream of subconsciousness. Let it take you to where you wish to be. Don't force it,  
just let go..._  
  
And slowly, it began. A low, long -tha-thump-tha-thump-. She wanted to dig  
further, but she restrained herself. She let it come to her, easing its way towards her.  
Soon, she could hear it distinctly. It was almost like a heartbeat, soothing and warm. She  
let it surround her, envelop her in its waves. It was flowing around her, but something  
was missing. She began to worry, and slowly the stream slipped away. She was panicking  
now, but she heard grandmother again: _Don't force it, just let go..._   
  
Sakura did. She banished all fear, worry, and panic from herself, mind and body,  
and let all of it go. The stream came back, and this time, it consumed her.  
  
When Sakura next awoke, she was laying down in the meadow. The sun shone  
brightly overhead, birds where singing, and the wind whispered in the trees. She blinked  
slowly, still under the effects of the meditation. After a moment, she pushed herself up  
from the earth onto her knees. She felt pulsating, like breathing in and out, and looked at  
her hand rested upon the earth. She pulled it away and the pulsating lessened, but she  
could still feel it... hear it...   
  
She looked around and where the meadow had once been grass, there was flowers.  
All kinds, all colors, and the intensity of those colors was overwhelming. All of the color,  
everywhere around her, was so pure and so vibrant. She felt the air murmur in her ears,  
laughing and telling her secrets. She couldn't help but laugh with it. It sang, calling her to  
her feet. She stood and began to run and dance through the meadow, laughing. The world  
was singing to her and she sang back, laughing and singing her joy.   
  
She danced over to the stream, and the water was so pure and clear, shining  
brilliantly in the sunlight. She took some into her hand and drank, she was so thirsty! It  
was absolutely wonderful! She stood and returned to the meadow, singing as loudly as  
she could.   
  
_What is your name?_ the wind asked.  
  
_Sakura! My name is Sakura!_ she sang back.   
  
The wind began to blow slightly harder, and suddenly she was surrounded by the  
pink cherry blossoms she was named after. They whirled around her, as did she them,  
continuing to sing and laugh until she felt herself drawn back down to the earth. She laid  
down in a bed of blossoms, feeling happy and at rest.  
  
_Sleep,_ the wind said. _Sleep, Sakura._  
  
And she did.  
  
The next morning, she awoke, and the lovely vision was gone; but she could still  
hear the whispering of the wind and the beating of the earth. She smiled. She would go  
home now, but never would she forget her experience here.  
  
On the way home, she realized she always felt the earth and its rhythm. Mother  
Earth and her rhythm. She found it in everything-- nature, man, and beast. It called to her,  
like her favorite song playing gently; a soundtrack of life. When she reached her house,  
she opened the front door and walked in.   
  
"Mama?" she called out.   
  
"Sakura? Is that you? Oh, Sakura!" her mother said, rushing into the foyer and  
gathering her daughter in her arms.   
  
"Mama... I need to breathe," she said, laughing. Her mother let her go and looked  
at her, tears in her eyes.  
  
"Oh Sakura, it's so good to have you back again! We were so worried!" she said.  
Sakura was hugged again, this time by her grandmother.  
  
"See, daughter? I knew she would make it! She has the spirit!" her grandmother  
said, giving a slightly smug look at her daughter.  
  
"Oh, you were as concerned as I after she didn't return!" her mother replied.  
  
"Didn't return? I've only been gone a day," she said, confused at all of the  
emotion.  
  
"Nay, child, you haven't. You've been gone almost six months," her grandmother  
said.  
  
"Six...? Are you sure?" Sakura asked, dumbfounded.  
  
"Quite sure, dear. I don't forget six months of sleepness nights worried about your  
safety. I was afraid that you had been captured or..." she trailed off, then smiled. "But you  
are back, safely, and that is all that matters, now."  
  
"And she can resume her training!" her grandmother said firmly.  
  
"But Mother, she's only just returned!" her mother said, but Sakura knew it was  
no use. Her grandmother was stubborn, especially about training. For some reason,  
though, Sakura wasn't upset about it.   
  
Her training did, indeed, continue. Her grandmother later confided to her that her  
adventure outward had actually been a test, and she passed with flying colors. Had she  
not, and nature had rejected her, she would be forced to stop and forget everything she  
learned, as several of her ancestors had found out the hard way. But she passed, and thus  
began the last part of her training.  
  
She had conquered the mental half; now was time for the physical. Granted, she  
had been concentrating on the physical aspect for quite some time now, but it was merely  
the basics, so said her grandmother. It was now time to exceed beyond that. At first,  
Sakura was worried that she wouldn't live up to the standards her grandmother set her,  
but soon, she found that she met them consistently.  
  
It had finally sunk in. _She was no longer weak._  
  
And while most nights she was positively exhausted from her training, she began  
to take interest in a few hobbies. Namely, some 'occult' hobbies. She bought a Tarot deck  
and studied astrology. She was, as in most of her subjects, a quick study, and soon was  
doing readings for her mother and grandmother. They were uncannily accurate and soon  
she trusted her deck as much as she did her own innate knowledge.  
  
Six months later, halfway through her third year, her grandmother told her she had  
learned everything she could possibly be taught by her. As a gift for completing her  
training, she signed Sakura up for the jounin exams.  
  
"But-but-but... you need a jounin backing you to do that! And you have to be a  
chuunin!" she protested. Her grandmother raised her hand, silencing her.  
  
"I am aware of that, however, in lieu of the war and decrease of jounins, the  
chuunins-only rule has been lifted. And you have not only a jounin backing you, but two  
jounins and a sennin."  
  
"Two jounins and a sennin...? You mean Kurenai, Anko, and Lady Hokage?!"  
  
"Yes. I informed them of your will and determination; all three of them are eager  
to see what you've got," her grandmother said, the smile reaching her eyes.  
  
"When is the exam?" Sakura asked, eager to finally show everyone-- and herself--  
her newfound strength.  
  
"Oh, today," her grandmother said offhandedly. "At noon at the same arena where  
you had your Chuunin Exam."  
  
"NOON?! THAT'S LESS THAN AN HOUR AWAY!" Sakura nearly screamed,  
getting ready to bolt.  
  
"Oh, Sakura?"  
  
"Yes?" she asked, in a hurry to get down the arena.  
  
"Go get 'em, girl!" her grandmother replied, winking. Sakura smiled and ran to  
the arena. She arrived, breathing heavily.  
  
"Cutting it close a bit, aren't we?" Anko asked.  
  
"You're wearing that for your exam?" asked Kurenai, raising an eyebrow at  
Sakura's torn sweatpants and old tanktop.  
  
"I didn't have to time to change... my grandmother just told me about this ten  
minutes ago..." Kurenai and Anko exchanged a look of understanding.  
  
"Well, c'mon, girl! You need to show these hotshot men what you're made of!"  
Anko said, nearly dragging her inside.  
  
_This is going to be interesting,_ Sakura thought, and it was. She was up first (her  
grandmother's doing, she was sure) and her opponent was not just any jounin, but a  
ANBU member and hunter-nin to boot. She didn't catch his name and didn't want to. The  
less personal it was, the less personal it would become, and that's the way she liked it.  
  
They started out with the usual basic moves first, getting a feel for the other. This  
guy had a scruffy brown hair and eyes that seemed to constantly look bored. He had on a  
cocky grin, and Sakura knew he was going to 'take it easy on her'; they all did. An  
advantage begging her to take it.   
  
He charged at her, and she began to counter attack, but something wasn't right. He  
had no rhythm-- he was a clone. She merely dodged his attack and quickly sent her mind  
out to scan and find his hiding place. He must've sensed this, because she was suddenly  
surround by clones, all gearing up to charge at her, kunai in hand.  
  
"Haruno Style, Rose Whip!" she said, forming the chakra in her hand.   
  
She spun around quickly, and the whip, full of thorns, lashed out; the clones were  
destroyed in various puffs of smoke. When she stopped, the whip snapped back to her. If  
she felt the need to, she could use her chakra to keep it in place, but she felt that she had  
proved her point this time. The jounin reappeared some distance in front of her. She could  
his rhythm, -tha-thump-tha-thump-....  
  
Without warning, she charged, seals forming quickly in hand. Her mind had  
spoken to her and she would listen. He was going to try and attack from behind. She  
knew he was fast, faster than she was; she understood his plan, and pretended to fall for  
it. She focused on his rhythm, and at the last possible second, she felt it vanish. She threw  
herself into a 180 and attacked.  
  
"Sakura Style, Bloody Thorns!" she cried out, throwing her hands out. Long,  
deadly thorns, similar to acupuncture needles, shot out of her hand at the jounin. He  
dodged most, but a few hit him in the arm and side. He winced, but remained standing.  
Sakura didn't wait, and had the seals almost finished by the time he stopped. "Sakura  
Style, Pollen Dust!"  
  
She had to give him credit-- he dodged that attack completely. There was  
definitely a reason he was jounin. If he hadn't, he would've been knocked out or at least  
woozy and blinded, depending on how strong his resistance was. He attacked again,  
calling up the earth to drag her down. She smiled; two could play this game.   
  
She moved out of the way of the reaching earth and had called out the jutsu before  
she even landed.   
  
"Haruno Style, Draining Earth Vines!" she called out.   
  
As she landed, she watched with humor in her eyes as the jounin was trapped by  
the multitude of vines that latched onto him, draining a good bit of his chakra. It was only  
a temporary fix, though, and took no little amount of her chakra as well. It was worth it  
though, in a fight like this. The jounin was absolutely livid by now, and she knew he  
would come at her with everything he was worth.  
  
_Now is my chance to show you all that I am no longer that weak child,_ she  
thought, her eyes alight with determination.  
  
He attacked again, no jutsu this time, pure hand-to-hand combat. She let her  
instincts guide her, and while she wasn't making any progress, she wasn't losing an inch  
of ground, either. _I need to move beyond this. It's time to pull out all the stops._ She  
backflipped away from her opponent and cut her palm with a kunai. She formed the seals  
and pressed her bloodied hand to the earth.  
  
"Sakura Style, Mother Earth Blood Sacrifice!"  
  
At first, nothing happened. Well, nothing that anyone but Sakura could sense. The  
rhythm of the earth had quickened, creating a gentle rumbling. Her opponent looked at  
her oddly, crouched on the ground, palm bleeding onto the dirt floor, but she merely  
smiled. He glared and began to run towards her, but she didn't move. Merely feet away  
from her, the earth tore up beneath him, creating a fissure that ran the entire width of the  
arena. It was only his speed that saved him, and he managed to run up the side of the  
fissure before falling to far.   
  
"MATCH OVER! CANCEL THAT JUTSU ALREADY!" cried the "referee"--  
another jounin designated to watch the match and keep an eye on things. Sakura kept  
smiling and lifted her bloody hand from the earth. Just as soon as it appeared, the fissure  
vanished, as if it had never been there.  
  
"You..." her opponent said. She didn't fight back as he grabbed her and held a  
kunai to her throat. "You tried to kill me!"  
  
"No..." Sakura said softly. "You're own misjudgement tried to kill you. You  
thought I was weak. You know better now."   
  
And with that, she dissolved into cherry blossoms in his hands.   
  
She had, to put it simply, aced her jounin test. To celebrate, Kurenai and Anko  
took her shopping for everything-- from clothes to kunai-- and then joined her mother,  
grandmother, and of all people, the Lady Hokage herself, at Konoha's most prestigious  
restaurant for dinner. She remembered thinking it was certainly a far cry from the  
Ichikaru, which had been her main staple other than a meal at home.   
  
In fact, as she was informed of that night by Tsunade, she did so well, they were  
immediately placing her as commander of a new squadron. Sakura had been barely able  
to contain herself then, and now, facing meeting her new squad in a few hours, she  
couldn't sit still or even think straight. She kept pacing the floor of her bedroom, and she  
wondered idly if there would be a permanent rut or not.  
  
_Go to your grandmother's,_ her mind told her. She walked out, picked up her  
house key, pulled on her shoes, and was out the door.  
  
Just as she reached out to open the front door, it opened for her. It was her  
grandmother.  
  
"Ah, Sakura! I knew you would be here. Come, child, I have a gift for you," her  
grandmother said, holding the door open for her.  
  
"I'm not late for it, am I?" Sakura replied, only half-joking.  
  
"No, dear, you are right on time!" her grandmother told her, and led her to the  
living room. There, on the floor, was a rather large package, wrapped in a floral print and  
a large, old-fashioned pink bow. "Go on, open it."  
  
Sakura walked over and kneeled in front of the package. It was wrapped so lovely  
that she didn't want to tear into it. Slowly, though, she reached out and carefully undid  
the bow; next, she gently pulled the paper away, preserving it as much as she could.  
Underneath was a plain white box with a lid. She just stared, finding herself hesitant to  
open it.  
  
"Go on," her grandmother urged.  
  
Sakura cautiously reached out and lifted the lid a few inches. She peeked inside,  
and saw the light of room glinting of something. She let the lid fall from her hands, the  
wonder of what was inside was revealed.   
  
It was Inutsuge's armor, the one they had dug out of the attic two and half years  
ago. It had been restored to its former glory, shining brilliantly. Sakura didn't bother to  
blink away the tears forming in her eyes. She jumped up and hugged her grandmother,  
nearly weeping with delight.   
  
"Thank you!" she managed to choke out.  
  
"You have _earned_ it, child. You truly are the spirit of Inutsuge, and I know she is  
proud of you," her grandmother said, letting her go. She smiled at her granddaughter.  
"Come, dear, we need to fix your hair."  
  
Sakura couldn't help but laugh.  
  
She smiled as she thought back on that scene from a few hours before. She was  
pacing again and biting her nails. She only ever did that when she was nervous or  
worried, and she both now.   
  
She was in a side room, waiting for her squad to fully assemble in the meeting  
room. She didn't know who any of them were yet, and she wondered if it would be  
anyone she knew. _Ow,_ she thought. She looked down at her thumb, where the nail was  
bitten down to the quick; she had just tried to take a bite out of her own flesh. She sighed  
and began pacing again.  
  
Sakura knew she was probably quite the unique figure. She wore the armor of  
Inutsuge, and had been only mildly surprised that it was a perfect fit. She was wearing a  
simple black "suit" underneath it all, which included a chest plate; arm protectors; leg  
protectors; and 'pelvic' plates, as she had dubbed them. The chest plate was short, as it  
ended a few inches underneath her breasts, but being as such it allowed her full mobility  
of her waist. The arm protectors were lashed to each forearm with ties, as was the leg  
protectors that were tied around her calves. The pelvic plates tied together at her hips,  
creating a shield around her more private areas. Each plate was about twice as long as it  
was wide.  
  
All in all, the armor was surprisingly light and beautiful. She hadn't noticed it  
when it was covered in rust and dirt from the years, but now she couldn't miss it--  
intricately inlaid was the design of a flower she didn't recognize, but deemed beautiful  
anyhow. She had been worried that it would be loud, something a nin could definitely not  
afford to be, but it was silent. The glint had even lessened, as if she had willed it to and it  
had responded.  
  
It wasn't just her armor that was different, however. When her grandmother had  
said about fixing her hair, she could never have imagined what would come of it. Her  
hair, which had grown to her waist, was abstrusely braided; several little braids had been  
made around her head, which had been pulled back with the rest of her hair and braided  
into a long, thick braid that reached her mid-back. It had been tied with a ribbon her  
grandmother had given her as a child. She also had two loose pieces of hair framing her  
face.  
  
She was armored, braided, ladened with weapons, and was ready for anything....  
  
Except this.  
  
"Sakura?" She looked up and saw Kurenai in the doorway. "They're waiting."  
  
"I'm coming," she replied. She took a deep breath, banished her worries from her  
mind, and walked through the door....  
  
Right into three faces she hadn't seen in two and half years.

  
  
**A/N**: I didn't translate the jutsus because, simply, my Japanese is so very bad and I'm a  
bit of a perfectionist. ::shrug:: I hope you guys don't mind too much.  
  
Before I answer the reviewers, here's a bit of info I think you might like.  
  
I gave Sakura's family members all names of flowers, but the flowers also have certain  
meanings as well. The format is name -- flower -- meaning.  
  
_Inutsuge_ -- Japanese holly -- foresight, defense, domestic happiness  
_Neguiri_ -- allium -- unity, humility, and patience  
_Yuri_ -- day lily -- Chinese emblem for mother  
  
Another bit of information pertains to Sakura's jutsus. Most of these I made up out of thin  
air, elaborated on, or are a sort-of dedication.   
  
_Rose Whip_ -- my dedication to Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho  
_Bloody Thorns_ -- thin air  
_Pollen Dust_ -- thin air, though I did have the troll dust from 10th Kingdom vaguely in  
mind  
_Draining Earth Vines_ -- a sort-of dedication to Naraku from Inu Yasha  
_Mother Earth Blood Sacrifice_ -- I figured since Naruto has Rasengan and Sasuke has  
Chidori, why not give Sakura a sort of "ultimate" jutsu?  
  
There will be some more jutsus coming up in the next chapter, as well as the truth behind  
that scroll.  
  
Also, that meadow sequence was a nod to _Wolf's Rain_ and Cheza, and the armor is  
loosely based on Sango's from _Inu Yasha_.  
  
Now, onto the reviewer answers!  
  
_Miszy-Anne_: Thanks, really. This chapter, I think, was a bit rushed, but it turned out good.  
  
_Cuito_: Thanks!  
  
_Poison Death Tree_: Yet again, thanks. I really appreciate it.  
  
_Shiroi Hikari_: Here you go! Enjoy!  
  
_Destiny1029_: Hope you liked this chapter!  
  
_Solita_: It was, wasn't it? I'm glad you thought it was written well! ::grin::  
  
_insert catchy name here_: (I like that, BTW.) It is, isn't it? I just hope she does for real.  
  
_SamuruSa==> Lazy_: Well, here you go.   
  
_Sleeping Child_: Oh, she shows them alright, but that's next chapter! ::grin::  
  
_Maya Amano_: 1) Thank you! 2) I really need to update that site, but I don't even know if  
the series is still around. 3) Chiru's link is on my site (I'm pretty sure). 4) I'm glad you  
like the clan story. And 5) I'm from the United States. Pennsylvania, specifically.  
  
_animEvivvErz_: Nah, no need to do that! Though it would liven things up around here....  
  
Well, thank you all for your reviews! See you next time! 


	4. Part Four: The Ascension

**A/N**: I don't think I've gotten so many good reviews.... EVER. Thanks!  
  
I just realized that the scene changers aren't working. Bleh. Stupid new rules. I've fixed  
that, so don't worry, it won't seem so choppy now. If I ever get the time, I'll go back and  
fix the others as well.  
  
Well, here's Part 4!  
  
**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Naruto, never have, never will. I only own this story and its  
specifics.  
  
**ARCHIVE**: Go ahead, just drop me a line.   
  
**GUIDE**  
  
"Blah" - spoken  
_Blah_ - thoughts / emphasis  
_Blah_ - emphasis in a thought   
-Blah- - sound effect  
  
------------ - scene change  
..::::.. - flashback   
  


**Part Four: The Ascension**  
  
Sakura gasped.  
  
"Sa... Sakura?" said Naruto. His face lit up. "Sakura!" He raced over to her and  
hugged her, swinging around in his arms. If it had been anyone else, she would've had  
him on the floor crying for his mama. But this was Naruto.  
  
"Naruto! I've missed you!" she said, hugging him back.  
  
"You have...?" he said, stopping and looking at her with shock. She punched him  
in the arm.  
  
"Of course I have!" she said. He smiled that old fox grin of his, and a rush of  
memories came back to her. She glanced over to Kakashi and Sasuke a moment, before  
rushing over and hugging both of them. "I've missed you guys, too."  
  
"Same here," Kakashi said, giving her a light hug back. Sasuke smiled-- _WOAH_,  
both Sakura and Inner Sakura (yep, she's still around) thought-- and nodded his head in  
agreement.  
  
"I hate to break up the happy reunion, but you do have business to tend to, don't  
you Sakura?" Anko said from across the room. Sakura blushed.  
  
"Oi, what is she talking about?" Naruto asked. Sakura backed up from them and  
gave a polite bow to the three of them, as well as the rest of the squad.  
  
"Thank you for coming. I am Haruno Sakura, your commander," she said, before  
straightening. She couldn't resist sending a smug look to her three former (and now  
current) teammates, who's jaws were on the floor. Maybe her mother was right; she _did_  
act just like her grandmother.  
  
"_You're_ our commander?" asked another member. It was Inuzuka Kiba.   
  
"Got a _problem_ with that?" she replied, full Inner Sakura attitude in place. He  
grinned, showing his fangs.  
  
"Hell no! I heard what you did to that jounin! Totally kicked his ass!" Kiba said.  
She blushed again and shrugged at Kakashi, who's one visible eye was as wide as she had  
ever seen it.  
  
"I kinda did," she told him.  
  
"Kinda?" said another voice. It was Lee, another member of the squad. "Forgive  
me, my dear Sakura, but you almost buried him-- literally!"  
  
"I think this is a story we should hear," Naruto said, raising an eyebrow and still  
grinning.   
  
"Another time. Like Anko said, there is business to attend to," she said. She  
walked over to where a map had been spread out on the table. Kurenai and Anko left; this  
was not their mission.  
  
"There has been a lull in the war, and the tide is slowly turning in our favor; that is  
why the three of you were finally able to return. However," she said, "our forces out there  
are tired and worn. Supplies are running low, and even with rationing they will be gone in  
two weeks. Our mission is to bring in fresh supplies and fresh nins, and perhaps, even  
liven the spirits that have undoubtedly fallen."  
  
"Is there high activity in the area?" asked the last member of her team, none other  
than Hyuuga Hinata. She was their med-nin, one of the few left in the village.  
  
"There have been small skirmishes with the squad we are going to help, but they  
were nothing more than rogue nins looking for easy pickings." She smiled. "They  
underestimated our resilience."  
  
"How long are we to remain there?" Kakashi asked.  
  
"Possibly until further notice," she replied. _Not long_, her mind told her. She didn't  
speak it aloud. "Any other questions?"  
  
"Are we there just to resupply, or are we going to join in the fun on these  
'skirmishes'?" Naruto asked.   
  
"Technically? Just to resupply. But with good ol' Team 7 involved, we'll most  
likely end up have some sort of 'skirmish' ourselves," she replied. Lee, Kiba, and Hinata  
looked at her and the others, confused, but they shook their heads and it was dropped.  
"Any more? No? Well, then, let's get going!"  
  
Everyone filed out of the room, eager to get a move on. Sakura breathed a sigh of  
relief and closed her eyes. It hadn't been as hard as she thought. _That was probably the  
easy part. I just hope I can keep my wit out there._ She sighed again.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked. Someone had stayed behind. She didn't need to  
open her eyes to know who it was.   
  
"What's with the get-up?" Sasuke asked. She opened her eyes and looked at him.  
He hadn't changed much; he wore an outfit similar to Kakashi's, as did Naruto. His hair  
was still that odd chop-style, a mix of short and long. His eyes were the same, a biting  
Uchiha glare only a heartbeat away at all times.  
  
"Get-up?" she repeated. She walked up to him. "Get-up? Just wait; you'll see just  
what this 'get-up' is," she told him, before walking past him. "C'mon," she called over  
her shoulder, "you don't want to be dead last!"  
  
------------  
  
Sakura didn't relax until they had reached the camp. Five days they had walked,  
alternating between guiding the cart, scouting, and walking along beside, keeping alert for  
any sign of an attack. Even when they reached the camp, she had wired for so long she  
was wondering if she would ever unwound.   
  
"Haruno," a low, emotionless voice said.  
  
"Why, Neji, fancy seeing you here," she replied. He gave her a smirk.   
  
"Bribe the commander into letting you tag along?"  
  
"Well, gee, Neji, I didn't know one could bribe one's self," she replied. The smirk  
vanished and she was given a glare that could rival Sasuke's. "Look, pleasantries over,  
we've brought supplies for your squad, as well as possible backup."  
  
"We don't _need_ backup," he hissed.   
  
"Aw, lay off, Neji," said the only person in the world who could and not get the  
crap beat out of them. "So you did make it, Sakura."  
  
"Of course, Tenten. Did you expect anything else?"  
  
"I heard about what you did to that jounin. Please, teach me that sometime, it  
could come in handy," she said, looking directly at Neji, who was ignoring her.  
  
"Some other time. Right now, and I think I speak for all of us, I want some dinner  
and some place to sleep," she told the brown-haired girl. Her teammates nodded.  
  
"Hey, got any ramen?"  
  
------------  
  
Sakura sat straight up. It was pitch black out; there was no moon tonight. She  
wasn't sure, but it looked to be in the hours just before dawn. Her heart was racing; the  
wind was blowing outside the tent. She crawled out and stood, letting the wind flow  
around her. It was trying to tell her something.   
  
She closed her eyes and focused. She could just barely catch it, but she couldn't  
make it out. She focused harder, but it didn't help any. She remembered her teachings,  
and backed off. _Just let it come to you,_ she told herself. The wind was urgent and worried;  
something wasn't right.   
  
_What is it?_ she asked.   
  
_It's coming!_ it whispered.  
  
_What is?_  
  
_The battle! It's coming!_  
  
That was all she needed to hear. She ran to the guard on duty, Shiranui Gemma.  
She told him that something was coming. She lied and said she had seen someone in the  
shadows outside her tent; she hadn't wanted to, but she knew there was no time to waste  
arguing. He nodded and they began rousing everyone in the camp.  
  
That task finished, they escaped into the forest, away from the area she had "seen"  
the shadow. The could smell the sea air where they hid, and wondered just how close they  
were. It was impossible to tell in the darkness. They waited for what seemed like an  
enternity, but she knew it had only been moments.  
  
"Were you sure?" a voice whispered to her. It sounded like Shikamaru, but she  
wasn't sure. She was sure, however, of her answer.  
  
"Yes," she replied. Another seemingly eternity passed. A scout, Aburame Shino,  
was sent out to inspect to camp. He returned.  
  
"We could find no signs of an attack," he replied in his ever-present monotone.  
Glares were sent her way; she didn't need to see them to know that. _Great,_ she thought,  
_now they'll never believe me. The wind does not lie; there is a battle coming. I can almost  
taste it._  
  
They returned, against her protests, to the camp. She trudged along behind them,  
taking up the rear. _This is one nostalgia I could do without,_ she thought bitterly. They  
were almost to the camp when it hit her.  
  
_DUCK!_  
  
"DUCK!" she screamed, and thankfully, everyone listened. Several Fuuma  
Shuriken flew over their heads, slicing tree trunks like they were butter. Everyone ran in  
different directions. "Wait! Don't!" she called out, but it was too late. The forest was too  
dark; they needed light.  
  
Sakura made a mad dash to the camp. She grabbed everything she could and  
threw it in a pile. While doing so, she ran into someone, and instincts had her driving a  
kunai to whoever's throat when her sense kicked in. She stopped just in time, picking up  
on the rhthym.  
  
"Sasuke! Light! We need light! Set that pile on fire, now!" she ordered. A few  
seconds later a stream of fire came out of Sasuke's mouth, lighting the pile into a bonfire,  
and illuminating the entire encampment.  
  
Sakura could see the results of battle already; chakra signatures were everywhere,  
and the trees were laden with shuriken, kunai, and various scorch marks. She needed to  
create some kind order, or else there was a chance they could be defeated. She needed to  
get everyone's attention immediately. She couldn't call out, or the enemy would hear as  
well. _C'mon, Sakura, think!_ she ordered herself. She looked at the fire, then straight up.   
  
"Sasuke, watch my back," she said.   
  
"What are you going to do?" he asked, on guard.   
  
"You'll see," she told him. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them,  
revealing the wildfire spirit within. "Sakura Style, Invisible Cherry Blossom Flare!" she  
whispered.   
  
It worked. Streaks of pink fire were sent out, finding each teammate and lighting  
the path back to where she and Sasuke stood.  
  
"Won't they see it, too?" he asked. She smiled.  
  
"They can't. It's visible only to our side," she replied.   
  
"Not bad," he said. Closest thing to a compliment she had ever received from him.  
  
"Yeah, for a minute there I didn't think I'd come up with anything," she replied.  
He looked as if he was about to say something, but just then several kunai went whizzing  
by their heads.  
  
They both jumped into battle, but made sure they remained in the bonfire's light.  
Sakura caught glimpses of her teammates appearing into the light as well. There were  
yells of jutsu names, crackling flashes of chakra, the sounds of steel slicing through the  
air, the scent of blood on the air; Sakura couldn't believe that she found her blood  
singing. She fought, pulling out all the stops.  
  
_This was a foolish ambush,_ she caught herself thinking as her opponent fell,  
several thorns sticking out of his chest. _They underestimated us. There are several  
geniuses here! We have two Byakugans; two Sharingans; a deadly taijutsu expert; a  
man-demon; the Ino-Shika-Cho combo; a cocky, but tough jounin; a weapons expert;  
heirs to both the Aburame and Inuzuka clans; and me. It's like Konoha Dream Team._  
  
Another attacker tried his luck with her. She grinned at him, the bonfire flickering  
in her eyes. She didn't dare try to open up the earth, not with her teammates at possible  
risk of falling in. Instead, she decided to introduce this guy into some Haruno Clan  
trademarks. The flew through the seals effortlessly.  
  
"Haruno Style, Wicked Garden!" she shouted. Cherry blossoms shot out from her  
hand, whirling around the nin before knitting together and fading into dust. He looked at  
the pink dust, then to her, and laugh. "Go ahead and laugh. I will when you discover that  
all of tenketsu are blocked."  
  
"What?!" he said, and began to brush the dust off. Sakura had to hurry before he  
was able to get too much off and regain use of his tenketsu. She formed another set of  
seals, and this time, only whispered the words.  
  
"Haruno Style, Paradise Lost!"  
  
The earth tore open beneath him, covering him completely and dragging him  
down into itself before he even had a chance to scream. Sakura pushed the image out of  
her mind and looked around her. The tide was definitely turning, alright. Out of the corner  
of her eye she caught movement, and looked to see Sasuke chase one of the nins into the  
dark forest.  
  
"Sasuke! Don't go into the dark!" she called out, following him. She raced  
straight ahead, feeling his rhythm in front of her somewhere. It was weak, and that's what  
worried her.   
  
_Where is he?!_ she mentally screamed. Luck was with her, she decided, because  
the darkness was starting to fade. Dawn was near. She raced through the now dim forest,  
trying to find him. She could still feel his rhthym, but it was growing fainter. She was in  
full panic mode now, and just trusted her feet to find him as she ran along.   
  
Once again she could smell the sea air; it called to her, and she kept running  
towards it. How far had he gone..? _It doesn't matter,_ she thought, _I have to find him._ She  
raced along, and she could feel the earth's rhthym matching her pounding heartbeat. The  
wind ran past her, pushing her further on. Her blood-- her spirit-- was alive and pulsating  
with every step she took.  
  
_Up ahead,_ the wind whispered.  
  
She broke into a clearing, and there was Sasuke, beaten and bloody, hanging limp  
in an equally conditioned nin's grasp. Hanging... over a sheer cliff... that dropped right  
into the sea. Sakura screamed, running towards them, but the nin holding Sasuke's barely  
concious body let go, and Sasuke began to fall.  
  
"NOOO!" Sakura screamed, and without thinking, she dived off the cliff.   
  
_Sakura..._ a voice said. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. She  
reached out for Sasuke. _Sakura... your blood is singing, do you hear it? Your blood is  
singing, you have the strength.... Remember, Sakura..._  
  
..::::..  
  
She was back in her grandmother's attic, pulling out the scroll that had been  
hidden in the lining. She carefully opened it, and began to read.  
  
_"And like a hawk after its prey, she fell screaming from the sky at the enemy,  
slashing her katana through their flesh. Her wings of snow spread wide, her green eyes  
ablaze with fury, she came down upon them like the angel of death. We all could hear it  
in our hearts; her blood was singing! Singing to us to go and fight! It was singing with  
victory! She was singing to us, her blood was singing to us!"_  
  
Wings...?  
  
..::::..  
  
With a sudden force that nearly took her breath away, she was thrust back into  
reality. She was only a few feet from Sasuke... she had to reach...   
  
She stretched her arm out to its fullest extent, the space between them closing  
rapidly. Finally, she was able to grab ahold of his shirt and pull him towards her,  
wrapping her arms around his waist protectively. She heard a roaring in her ears, growing  
louder and louder. Finally, she couldn't take it any more. She let the roar out.  
  
_Her blood was singing..._  
  
Without warning, she felt herself began to rise. She opened her eyes-- when had  
she closed them?-- and saw herself gliding over the sea. She looked to her sides, and  
there, stretched out to their fullest extent, were snow white wings. They weren't pure  
white, though; the end of each feather was tinged pink.  
  
_Higher,_ she thought, and soon they were soaring up and up into the air. Dawn had  
finally come, and shone its brilliance across the sea. She was in heaven and didn't want to  
leave; but as she hugged Sasuke closer, she knew she still had a job to do. She banked,  
turning around and heading back to land.  
  
She flew past the nin who had dropped Sasuke; he stumbled and fell. She swung  
down, just barely clearing the trees. She saw the smoke from the still burning fire. Sakura  
thought, _Slow down. Stop here,_ and soon she had landed in a high, sturdy branch. She  
gently laid Sasuke down. He wasn't too badly injured, but did have a rather nastly looking  
cut on his head. It was probably what had caused him to pass out.   
  
After checking to make sure he'd be okay there, she leapt off the branch and  
pulled herself higher into the air. She passed over the clearing, and saw that there was still  
some fighting going on. She looked to her right, where the forest continued before  
thinning out into fields.   
  
_More are coming,_ she thought. She knew, and soon was diving down, flying faster  
than she could ever move on the ground. She passed over the band of reinforcements,  
startling them. She ignored their calls of 'What was that?!' and banked, ready to dive  
right in. _I have no katana, but I think this will suffice,_ she thought, making the seals as she  
dived down towards them.  
  
"Haruno Style, Blood Song!" she called out, passing over their heads. Feathers  
fell from her wings, instantly replaced by new ones. The became blades in the air,  
rocketing down towards their targets.   
  
There would be no more of them.  
  
She regained some height and began to fly back towards her teammates, though  
albeit at a slower pace this time. She couldn't resist doing a few tricks in the air, either.  
After all, she did have a victory to celebrate.  
  
And her blood was singing....

  
  
**A/N**: Okay, okay, so Sakura is a little all-powerful like, but take a step back and think  
about it. She sacrificed a lot to be this strong, and is going to continue to do so if she  
wants to keep her dream. So... no _excessive_ flaming, okay? ::hopeful grin::  
  
Ah, jutsu info. Here we go:  
  
_Invisible Cherry Blossom Flare_: Thin air, and yes, I know, it's pretty unlikely. ::shrugs::  
Hey, she got a compliment from Sasuke because of it! So... yeah. ::blushes:: Don't hate  
me.  
  
_Wicked Garden_: Okay, this isn't an "all powerful" tenketsu blocker like the Byakugan.  
It's more like a buyer of time, since all you have to do is brush it off. And yes, it's an  
extension of the Pollen Dust from last chapter.  
  
_Paradise Lost_: Thin air, but once again, a sort-of dedication to Naraku from _Inu Yasha_.  
  
_Blood Song_: Kind of metaphorical for me; something so delicate is also extremely  
deadly-- like Sakura herself. (So, did ya like the 'wings' part? ::grin::)  
  
Now, reviewer responses:  
  
_cuito_: Here you go!  
  
_Maya Amano_: ARIGATOU! ::big grin:: ::blushes:: Aw, shucks.   
  
_Shiroi Hikari_: Yeah, I was watching _Wolf's Rain_ while I wrote that part of the chapter.  
::grin:: And thanks.   
  
_Miszy-Anne_: Here it is! I'm glad you like it. ::thumbs-up::  
  
_animEvivvErz_: OMG! THANK YOU! ::cheshire cat grin::  
  
_GeshronTyler_: Err... well... I did overdo it a bit, didn't I? I tried not to, but it got away  
from me.... And besides, Naruto and Sasuke appear "all powerful", but we know they're  
not, so I guess I applied that to Sakura. (In other words, I overdid it. ::shrugs::)  
  
_Solita (Alone_: Here it is, hope you like it.  
  
_Poison Death Tree_: Thanks, and double thanks for being one of my most avid reviewers.  
::grin:: You make my day, sometimes.  
  
And don't worry folks, there's an epilogue. I'll get that up in the next week, I promise! 


	5. Epilogue

**A/N**: Well, here it is; the long-awaited epilogue. I had fun with this story, and while I  
didn't leave much room for a sequel, I'm might be able to work in a one-shot reflection  
piece someday. However, if I do, it won't be for a long time.   
  
And, by all means, any of you readers are welcomed to do so. My only request is that you  
drop me a line telling me, so I don't feel too far out of the loop. And please, credit me if  
you do so, where the credit is due. I won't impose on your own work in the slightest.  
::smile::  
  
At long last, here's the Epilogue.  
  
**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Naruto, never have, never will. I only own this story and its  
specifics.  
  
**ARCHIVE**: Go ahead, just drop me a line.   
  
**GUIDE**  
  
"Blah" - spoken  
_Blah_ - thoughts or emphasis  
_Blah_ - emphasis in a thought   
-Blah- - sound effect  
  
------------ - scene change  
..::::.. - not in this chapter  
  


**Epilogue**  
  
Sakura smiled as she thought back on that. Dawn was rising over Konoha, and she  
could see it beautifully from where she stood atop the Monument. She couldn't help but  
laugh to herself when she remembered Sasuke's expression when she landed on that  
branch. He had regained consciousness while she was away, and was wondering how in  
the hell he ended up on a branch.   
  
She had landed before him, and if his hand flying to his chest was any indication,  
she about gave him a heart attack. He had stared, mouth open, and had sent Sakura into a  
round of laughter. She extended her hand, which he had taken, and helped him stand.  
  
"Genjutsu?" he had asked. She shook her head. "Ninjutsu?" Again, she had  
shaken her head. He had looked around, then down, then back up at her. "I'm not dead,  
am I?" She had laughed again, unable to resist.  
  
"No, Sasuke," she had told him, "you're not dead. But you are in need of medical  
attention, so I suggest we get back to camp." After a moment's hesitation, he had let  
himself be hugged from behind, and they had left, flying through the trees.  
  
_That was probably a sight to see when I landed at the camp,_ she thought.  
Everyone had wanted to touch her wings, and she had let them. _Even Neji had  
'accidently' brushed against them. He's not such a bad guy, really. A complete stiff at  
times, but he's getting better. More human. _  
  
_Sakura,_ the wind whispered.  
  
_Yes?_ she asked.  
  
_Sakura..._ it repeated, and rushed past her, out over the Monument, taking a flood  
of cherry blossoms with it.   
  
_Thank you,_ she told the wind.   
  
"You're the one that should be thanked," a voice said. Sakura's eyes widened; it  
was the same voice that had spoken to her as she fell from the cliff. She turned her head,  
and there, behind her, was a woman.  
  
"Lady Inutsuge," she said softly.   
  
The woman smiled and walked up beside her. Her hair was a shining ebony,  
flowing far down her back, various flowers tucked in. She was wearing a kimono instead  
of the armor, but Sakura could tell it was she just by the way she carried herself. She  
looked out over Konoha, then turned to face Sakura; she had the same jade green eyes.  
  
"Sakura, it is you who should be thanked. You have saved all of this," she said,  
gesturing towards the village.  
  
"I... I don't understand. Yes, I won a small victory, but that was a battle, not the  
war."  
  
"Yes, I know that; but that small victory will go down in history as the one that  
turned the tide of this war. Konoha will survive," she said, still smiling.  
  
"All of this..." Sakura said to herself. She looked at Konoha for a moment, then  
turned back to her. "Lady Inutsuge, about the wings...?"  
  
"You are the first of this clan to be able to use them, after myself. It was said in  
my clan that the gods bestowed us with the wings as their messengers. I never believed it  
myself," she confided, "but we did indeed have wings to call upon. The true history of  
their existence was lost to us."  
  
"Did every member have them?"  
  
"Yes, but some only could call upon them in times of great need. Others, like  
myself, could call upon them at will. When my children were born, I would watch to see  
if any of them ever showed any indication that they could do this, but none did. The same  
with my grandchildren. When I died, my soul continued to look over my clan, while my  
spirit left to become reincarnated," she said, giving Sakura a motherly look.   
  
"To become me," Sakura said.  
  
"Yes, but never forget, you and I are very different people. You have my spirit,  
but you have your own soul and are your own person," she replied.   
  
"Was... was I chosen? Or was it just coincidence?"  
  
"That I cannot answer," Inutsuge said. "However, I can tell you that I never  
believed in coincidences." Sakura smiled at that. "You have company." She turned  
around, but didn't see anyone. When she turned back, Inutsuge was gone, and only cherry  
blossoms danced upon the wind.  
  
"There you are!" She turned around again, and this time saw Sasuke approaching  
her. "We need to get you a finding place."  
  
"A what?" she asked.  
  
"A finding place. If we can't find Naruto, we go to the Ichikaru; if we can't find  
Kakashi, we go to the adult book store; and if you can't find me, you go to the training  
grounds. We need find a place for you," he said. Sakura laughed.  
  
"I think... this place. Yes, this place will do just fine," she told him. He nodded,  
looking serious, but Sakura knew otherwise. "You wanted to find me?"  
  
"Yeah. I didn't get to thank you for saving me," he said. She gave him a  
questioning look. "I don't remember much. I just remember falling and you catching me.  
I also remember gliding over the sea, and at first I thought that I was losing my mind, but  
then I saw those wings of yours.... It fell into place."  
  
"Let's just say I was returning the favor," she said. His face grew dark.  
  
"I didn't mean to hurt you like that. I just saw that my teammate was in danger,  
and my body moved of its own accord," he said.   
  
"Don't worry. I've gotten over that. In fact, I actually should be thanking you,  
because not only did you save my life that day, but you sent me down the path that has led  
me to where I am."  
  
"Sometimes I wonder if Neji's right with all that destiny stuff he talks about. And  
then I wonder if Naruto's right, and it's all crap, and that you make your own destiny," he  
said. He shook his head. "I can't believe I just said that Naruto might be right...."  
  
"You want my advice?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Let go," she said.   
  
He gave her an odd looking, making her laugh again. She looked out over  
Konoha, sighing. Years ago she would have given anything in the world to talk with him  
like this; but now, she had found a greater purpose. She still cared deeply about Sasuke,  
but knew it would never be. They both had clans to build, and he still was still an  
avenger.  
  
"There's one thing I can't let go," he said, and she knew that he meant his brother.  
He looked up at her. "You know things. Will he and I ever...?"  
  
"Yes," she said softly. _They will meet. Time is fleeting in this matter. If only... if  
only I knew the outcome.... But some things are better left be._ He nodded his asent, and  
they spent a few minutes in silence, watching over Konoha. "Hey, Sasuke."  
  
"What?" She turned to him and grinned.  
  
"Race you to the bridge?" He seemed to think it over for a moment.  
  
"What do I get if I win?" Sakura sighed, he had definitely been around Naruto too  
much.  
  
"I'll cook you a five course meal every night for a week," she said. He nodded,  
agreeing. "And if I win, you have to come to dinner at my house tonight and meet my  
mother and grandmother. They would be delighted."  
  
"Deal," he said, and then was gone, running down the path. Sakura smiled,  
watching him go. She went the edge of the Monument and let herself fall. She flew over  
him, and heard him shout, "Hey! No fair!"  
  
She laughed and flew towards the bridge. She had found her strength. It wasn't  
just physical, or mental, or power of will, it was also the strength of her heart. She loved  
clan, her friends, and most importantly, herself. She wasn't weak, she never truly had  
been; she had just been too blind from hating herself to see that. Now, she could, and  
now, she could let go, and fly free.  
  
She soared over Konoha under the morning sun.   
  
_Her blood was singing...._  
  
------OWARI------  
  
"Those who wish to sing always find a song." -- Swedish Proverb

  
  
**A/N**: Yes, yes, I know, all you SasuSaku lovers are probably irritated at me. But I realized  
as I was preparing to write this, there was just no way they could be together-- Sakura  
would keep her clan name, Haruno, and Sasuke cannot take on another clan name  
because he needs to rebuild the Uchiha clan. I take full blame for that, but I couldn't see  
going back and changing that fact because, if you look back over it, that would involve a  
_lot_ of other changes as well-- a literary can-of-worms, so to speak.   
  
To smooth you SasuSaku people's irritation, I promise I will write something about them   
sometime in the near future.   
  
Now, onto reviewer responses.  
  
_Maya Amano_: Ahh, thank you! Yes, I know, I wasn't expecting this many reviews at all,  
but you guys have been more than welcoming. ::grin:: And no, I'm not offended in the  
slightest. I know I was a little confusing, and I hope this chapter helped clear that up a bit.  
  
_Miszy-Anne_: Thanks! And I have always wondered who would win in a staring contest  
between those two....  
  
_animEvivvErz_: ::blushes:: Aw, shucks, it wasn't nothin'.... I'm glad you liked the  
metaphor. It was actually created by accident, then I went back and embellished it a bit  
more. ::sigh:: The things we authors do....  
  
_SkyeWye_: I'm glad it finally worked for you. People always tell me I have a unique style,  
but I certainly can't see it, unless they mean my often archaic speech patterns. ::shrugs:: It  
doesn't matter I suppose-- whatever it is, it works! Glad you liked it.   
  
_Datchi_: In one word, thanks! (A lot.) ::thumbs-up::  
  
_Shiroi Hikari_: Oh, yes, they did indeed. I wonder what Neji-kun thinks of them. ::grin::  
I'm really glad you liked it.  
  
_Poison Death Tree_: Thanks, and hey, you never know.... Those odd creative beings  
known as muses strike at strange times with even stranger ideas, including sequels. Guess  
we'll see, ne?  
  
_Kio_: Thanks so much. I'm glad you and everyone has really enjoyed this.  
  
Well, that's it. "That's all there is, there is no more." For this story, anyhow. It's been a  
fun journey with you guys, and I can't wait to see you next time, on another journey. I'm  
glad you could come along for the ride.  
  
Until next time,  
  
CrazyAce 


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